The Right Partner
by NCISVILLE
Summary: Clara has been invited to Porridge's wedding and her plus one is none other than the Doctor; and what's a wedding without some dancing and confessions?


**Tumblr prompt:** Hello I was wondering if you could write 12 and Clara dancing to Elvis' can't help falling in love ? Pretty please ㈳6

 **The Right Partner**

The Doctor groaned tugging at his bowtie in disgust. "Tell me again why I have to wear this horrendous thing." He said to Clara who was watching him pull at the fabric with an amused smile on her face.

"Because when you're going to the wedding of the Emperor of a thousand galaxies, you have to wear a tux Doctor, and that includes a bowtie."

"I hate bowties." He grumbled.

"You only hate them because you used to wear them." She said pushing his shoulder lightly. "Come on then, enough looking in the mirror. You look fine." Clara assured brushing off the lapels of his tux. "Very handsome Doctor."

"Why exactly did you accept Mr. Ludens Nimrod Kendrick Cord Longstaff the forty-first's invitation anyways?"

"His name is Porridge, Doctor." Clara rolled her eyes. This always happened whenever she mentioned some other guy other than him. It didn't matter that Porridge was getting married, the Doctor still would find some reason to be jealous. "And because I think it would be nice to see him get married."

"Well once upon a time he asked you to marry him, how do you know he's not asked you to his wedding for you to be his bride?"

"Because there was a picture of him and his fiancé in the invitation Doctor." Clara said with an annoyed sigh and roll of her eyes.

"How do we know that's his actual fiancé? Maybe she's just a decoy and he's just luring you here to make you his bride."

"Doctor. I said no the first time and that'll be my answer to him if he tries to ask me again. Calm down. Weddings are supposed to be fun and I've never been to the wedding of the universe, so stop acting this way and let's just have fun. You're my plus one and you will be every time." Clara assured caressing his cheek with a soft smile.

The Doctor's lips lifted in a small smile and he rest his hand over hers before taking it off his face and kissing her palm. "My beautiful Clara."

Smiling Clara laced their fingers together and pulled him to the door of the Tardis. "Get ready to dance Doctor."

"Wait wait wait wait! No, no dancing! I don't do dancing!" He called out as she pulled him along outside the Tardis and into what seemed to be a coat closet that was being manned by two women. The Doctor cleared his throat and walked past the befuddled looking women with Clara on his arm, giving them a wink.

"Weddings have dancing Doctor, you will be dancing with me." She commanded.

"Yes Boss." He muttered with a groan.

"Good boy."

"I am hardly a boy. I'm-"

"Well aware of how old you are Doctor. It was an expression." She rolled her eyes and continued walking with him until they found the room where Porridge was busy getting ready.

"Clara!" He said happily upon seeing her. Clara let go of the Doctor's hand and walked over to Porridge, a wide smile on her face as she hugged the small man who stood on an upraised platform as people around him attended to his tux.

"Oh it's so good to see you Porridge! You haven't aged a bit."

"Neither have you it seems." He replied with a smile.

Clara heard grumbling behind her and she rolled her eyes again. "Porridge, you remember The Doctor?"

"Wow…you've really let yourself go." Porridge said looking at the Doctor in shock. Clara chuckled and the Doctor just glared.

"No, no. He's just regenerated into this handsome devil." Clara corrected patting the Doctor's cheek. He of course just huffed and looked elsewhere.

"Ah…I see." Porridge said with a smile. "That's why you said no."

"Yeah." Clara said shooting an affectionate glance to her jealous Time Lord. "Couldn't say yes when I loved someone else."

"Well, I'm glad to see time treated the both of us well." Porridge replied, a genuine smile on his lips.

"Me too! I'm so glad you found someone who was wanting to rule over a thousand galaxies with you."

"Oh she's wonderful. You'll love her Clara."

"Your Majesty…it's time to go out." One of his servants interrupted them.

"Thank you. Well, Clara…Doctor. I'll see you out there. You best get your seats. I reserved two seats in the front row for you both."

"Thank you Porridge. It was lovely to get to talk to you. I'm sure it's going to be a beautiful ceremony."

"You'd better hurry. The chapel is rather large and the ceremony is starting in a minute."

"See you out there! Break a leg, not literally of course." Clara added before quickly walking out of the room pulling the Doctor behind her.

"Well…you two were…chummy." The Doctor grumbled.

Clara groaned and punched his shoulder. "Stop acting so bloody jealous. You have no competition Doctor. Look at where we are."

"In a hallway." He said unimpressed as they made their way to the chapel.

"At a wedding Doctor, and if the roles were reversed and I was the one getting married, the man at that altar would only ever be you."

"Really?" He asked halting their movement to look at her.

"Yes you bloody idiot. So stop acting so damn jealous of every man who so much as looks my direction." Clara demanded. The Doctor couldn't help but break out into a stupid wide smile and Clara huffed a laugh trying her best to seem cross with him, but his smile was so infectious that when she looked up and met his eyes, a smile of her own appeared. "Oh shut up." She said shoving his chest.

"Clara Oswald, did you just confess your desire to be eternally bound to me?" He asked with that same stupid smile on his face.

"Doctor, we have a ceremony to get to." Clara said in an attempt to change the subject and spare herself further embarrassment.

"This conversation isn't over Clara." The Doctor relented. That smile still hadn't left his face and Clara was beginning to wonder if it was permanent. She didn't think she'd be able to handle that. Her Doctor wasn't the smiley type. Nevertheless, he let her continue to pull him toward the Chapel and they managed to get to their seats just in time.

The ceremony itself was beautiful and it wasn't until both people had said 'I do' that the Doctor let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. They stood up with everyone else and clapped as the couple walked out together and The Doctor leaned close to Clara and whispered, "So you want that to be me and you, ey?"

"Shut up." She said throwing an elbow back. It caught his ribs and he groaned. Clara smiled and then began to follow everyone out of the large chapel and into the atrium that had been massively transformed into a reception that dreams were made of. However, when you were the emperor of so many galaxies, you kinda had the money to go all out and make fantasy, reality. "This is gorgeous." Clara said in complete awe.

"Not as gorgeous as you." The Doctor countered, coming up behind her and placing a hand on the small of her back.

Clara looked up sideways at him and smiled caressing his cheek with the palm of her hand. She took her hand away and with her heels on, she only had to push herself up an inch to be able to kiss his cheek. He smiled proudly down at her and pulled her into his side, keeping his arm securely around her waist.

"Now we just have to try and find a good place to sit." She said as her eyes scanned the large place for a good spot.

"A table full of old ladies will do just fine."

"Oh, what, you think I want to be eating dinner while they all look at my boyfriend, thinking about all the things they want to do to him that only I'm allowed to do?" Clara asked with an eyebrow raised.

"What? Clara, don't be ridiculous." He blushed.

"Contrary to your own belief Doctor, you are rather attractive and in my own personal opinion…sexy." She said with a grin.

He blushed a deeper shade of red and looked away. "Well, your opinion is the only one that matters."

"Exactly. So why can't you see that it goes both ways with that? I'm not interested in what other men or aliens think about me. I only care about what you think and I know that you love me and that you think I'm beautiful."

"Well played Clara Oswald. You made your point. Let's just find a table close to the food then."

"Now you're talking." Clara said lightly slugging his shoulder with a grin. The Doctor rolled his eyes but chuckled none the less. The table they sat at was occupied by a young couple as well as an older one, and with the two of them added, that filled up the table.

The reception was actually quite nice and peaceful despite all of the new traditions that had to be done to incorporate both Porridge and his wife's culture. They actually made quite the pair and they certainly knew how to throw a wedding. A buffet and chocolate fountain was what had really won Clara over; and of course the Doctor had helped her navigate what foods were and weren't poisonous for her. For an intergalactic wedding it was quite Earthy and it reminded Clara of her own desires for the future. There was the bride and groom feeding each other cake, and without knowing it The Doctor and Clara had done the same thing. It had been pointed out to them by the older married couple at their table, and Clara had immediately blushed when asked how long she'd been married to The Doctor. Finally, it had come time for dancing and Clara had let the Doctor off the hook for all the fast songs that she had no knowledge of what-so-ever, but when a familiar tune started to play she ran to him and dragged him from his chair and to the dance floor.

It had been her parent's song and she remembered watching them dance across the space between the refrigerator to the bedroom, her dad singing the lyrics to her mother. Elvis Presley's, Can't Help Falling In Love, had begun to play at the wedding and Clara was surprised that the song had survived for so long, but it brought back warm memories and reminded her of how she herself hadn't been able to help falling in love with the Doctor.

The Doctor didn't question her or protest as she dragged him onto the dance floor. Due to the slow nature of the song he actually enjoyed it and being able to hold Clara so close.

"My dad used to sing this song to my mom and dance with her in our flat." Clara said with her head leaning against the Doctor's chest.

"Sounds like a beautiful memory." He murmured kissing her head.

Right as the chorus started, the Doctor surprised her and began to sing it to her, a smile on his face as she lifted her head off his chest and stared into his eyes, completely star struck. His voice was velvety and so enchanting that it instantly captivated Clara.

"Like a river flows surely to the sea, Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be, take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you." He was singing soft and low so only she could hear, keeping eye contact so she knew he was singing to her. A breath taking smile appeared on her face and she pulled his head down to her until there foreheads were touching. He continued to sing and sway with her, utterly content in the moment. "Like a river flows surely to the sea, Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be, take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you, for I can't help falling in love with you…Clara Oswald." The song ended and there was clapping all around but neither the Doctor nor Clara made a move to end their moment. Her arms were wound around his neck, his hands on her waist, foreheads touching, and eyes gazing at one another.

"I can't help falling in love with you too." She sang back to him, a smile on her face. He mimicked her smile and tilted his head until their lips met in a kiss that could only be described as an action of all consuming love. It was soft and caring and a reflection of the adoration each held for the other.

"So…Clara…" The Doctor began, keeping their foreheads together and lightly swaying to the music that neither recognized. "You've thought about us getting married?"

"Yes." She answered without hitting him. In fact, her tone was soft and there was still a light smile on her face. "Have you?"

"I didn't think you'd be interested in something like that with me." He confessed.

"Why not?" She asked perplexed.

"I just…I thought this was all you wanted and that was fine with me. I wasn't going to push you into something. I'm happy just being with you."

"I want all of you Doctor, every part both good and bad. For better or worse." She added, her smile widening a bit. The Doctor chuckled and smiled as well.

"Good to know. Because I want exactly the same, Clara Oswald."

"Good to know." She repeated, smiling even brighter. He kissed her again and didn't care that others were around watching as he deepened the kiss. He loved his Clara and he was as happy as could be. "You don't have to keep dancing with me now. The one was all I needed." She said giving him an escape from what she knew he hated doing.

"I'm perfectly content right where I am."

"I thought you didn't like dancing Doctor?" She asked shocked by his words. She thought for sure he'd thank her endlessly and go run back off to the table.

"It all depends on if you have the right partner." He replied giving her an affectionate wink.

XxxxXXxxxEndxxxXXxxxX


End file.
